Many Americans feel a gap between who they are and who they want to be
Core finding
Most Americans feel a distance between their actual and their aspirational selves: 56% agree they often feel a gap between the person they are and the person they want to be, including 12% who strongly agree, according to a December 2025 Verasight survey.
About a quarter (24%) disagree, while 20% neither agree nor disagree.
Topline scale
Many Americans feel a gap between who they are and who they want to be.
I often feel there's a gap between who I am and who I want to be.
n = 1,000 · Dec 3–8, 2025 · MoE ±3.2%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Dec 3–8, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.2% |
| Module | soc_pol |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-human-v-synthetic
I often feel there's a gap between who I am and who I want to be.
Cite this question
Verasight Human/LLM Comparison Survey #2025-172, fielded December 3-8, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.